Overhead door



May 31, 1960 w. E. STULL, JR

OVERHEAD DOOR Filed Oct. 1'7, 1958 United States Patent O OVERHEAD DOOR Walter E. Stnll, Jr., 6012 Staley, Afiton, Mo.

Filed Oct. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 767,881

8 Claims. (Cl. 160-40) This invention relates to overhead doors, and more particularly to overhead garage doors of the type com- 2,938,578 Patented May 31, 1960 j a header 21 extending between the side jambs at the top of the door opening. Secured to each side jamb 19 is a special door guide member generally designated 23. As shown, each door guide member 23 comprises a long narrow plate portion or web 25 having a flange 27 exj tending at right angles from one face thereof, a pair of prising a plurality of pivotally connected panels slidable from a vertical position closing a garage door opening to a retracted overhead position. t

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of an improved construction for overhead doors of the class described whereby a more weather-tight seal is obtained between the door and the sides and top of the door opening when the door is closed; the provision of a construction such as described by means of which a tight seal is obtained between the upper margin of the door and the top of the door-opening when the door is closed; and the provision of a con-, struction such as described which, while providing a more weather-tight seal when closed, is easy to open and close. parent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation and partly in section illustrating an overhead door construction of this invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with parts broken away; t Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear elevation of part of Fig. l, with parts broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, there is indicated at 1 an overhead garage door of the type comprising a plurality of pivotally connected panels slidable from a vertical position closing a garage door opening 3 to a retracted overhead position under the ceiling of the garage. As shown, the door 1 comprises three individual rectangular panels, each designated 5, and each having a height generally corresponding to one-third the height of the door opening and a length corresponding generally to the width of the door opening. The panels are pivotally connected together at adjacent horizontal edges thereof in conventional manner by means of hinges such as indicated at 7 secured to. the insides of the panels. Each panel 5 has a roller 9 at one end thereof and a corresponding roller 9 at the other end thereof adjacent the upper edge of the panel. Additionally, the lower panel has a roller 9 at one end and a corresponding roller 9 at the other end adjacent the lower edge of the panel. As shown best in Fig. 4, each roller 9 (which may be made of plastic such as nylon) is mounted on a shaft 11 extending hori zontally outward from the respective end of the panel. The two related shafts 11 and the two related rollers 9 relatively wide flanges 29 and 31 extending at right angles from the other face thereof and defining a guide channel 33 for the end portions of the door panels 5, and, within the guide channel 33, a pair of relatively narrow flanges 35 and 37 extending at right angles from said other face of web 25 and defining a track 39 for the rollers 9. Flange 29, which may be coplanar with flange 27 as appears in Fig. 5, is hereinafter referred to as the front flange, and flange 31 is hereinafter referred to as the rear flange. The Width of channel 33 defined by flanges 29 and 31 is slightly greater than the width of the end portions of the door panels. The width of track 39 defined by flanges 35 and 37 .is slightly greater than the diameter of rollers 9.

Other objects and features will be in part ap- V Each door guide member 23 is secured as by screws 41 to the respective side jamb 19 with flange 27 against the inner edge 43 of the jamb and with the portion 45 of web 25 forward of flanges 27 and 29 positioned against the inside face 48 of jamb 19 (see Figs. 2 and 5). Accordingly, flanges 29, 31, 35 and, 37 of each guide member 23 extend laterally'inward from web 25 at the respective side of the door opening and toward the inside of the garage from the side of the door opening. The front flange 29 of each guide member 23 extends from the garage floor F up to and terminates somewhat below the level of the header 21 (see Fig. 1). The web 25 continues on up above the header. The flanges 35 and 37 which define the roller track 39 extend from the floor F up to and terminate at a level corresponding to the level of the upper end of front flange 29. The rear flange 31 of each guide member 23 extends from the floor F up to and terminates at a level substantially below the upper ends of flanges 29, 35 and 37, this level as shown, corresponding substantially to the level of the lower edge of the upper door panel 5 when the door is closed. An arm constituted by a plate 47, and forming in effect a continuation of the rear flange 31, is pivotally connected to the upper end of flange 31 by means of a spring hinge 49. The arm or plate 47 has a width corresponding to the width of flange 31 and extends upward from the upper end of flange 31 to a level corre-. sponding to the level of the upper end of the front flange 29. The spring 51 of spring hinge 49 biases the arm 47 to swing forward, and allows it to yield against the bias of the spring 51 by swinging rearward to a position such as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Secured to the bottom of the header 21 is a retainer 53 for a resilient sealing strip 55, which may be made of sponge rubber, for example. The retainer and the strip extend completely across the top of the door opening'3," and the strip 55 is engageable by the front of the upper edge portion of the upper door panel 5 for tight sealing purposes the upper door panel being biased forward for this purpose by the two spring-biased arms 47. There is,

sufficient play between the end edge portions of the upper door panel 5 and front flange 29, and suflicient play of the rollers 9 in the track 39 to permit this. The retainer 53 is adjustable for properly positioning the strip for;

obtaining a tight seal. As shown, adjustment is provided 3 for by securing the retainer to the header by screws 57 extending through elongate slots 59 in the retainer.

The guide members 23 may be formed as by extruding an aluminum section with a cross section providing the web 25 and'flanges 27, 29, 31, 35 and 37, cutting the sec tion to the required lengths, and removing from each length portions of the flanges as required to provide the above-described construction for. members 23. Or they may be formed as by welding the flanges to the web. In the installation of the door construction in a garage, overhead roller track members, one of which is indicated at 61, are provided in continuation of tracks 39 for :the rollers9. Asshown, each overhead-track member has a downwardly curved forward end'portion 63, the end of which meets the upperend of the respective vertical roller track 39, and a horizontal portion 65 extending rearward from the curved forward end portion. It will be understood that the installation may include the usual spring counterbalance for the door, or a conventional power-driven means for opening and closing the door.

Fig. 1 shows the door 1 in closed position in solid lines. With the end edge portions of the door panels 5 being confined in channels 33, with the upper edge portion of the upper door panel in engagement with sealing strip 5, and with the bottom of the bottom door panel in engagement with the floor, a satisfactory seal is provided at both sides, top and bottom of the door. When the door is raised, the rollers '9 travel into the overhead tracks 61, the arms or plates 47 yielding rearward as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to allow the panels to make the turn from vertical position to horizontal position. 1 V

In view of the above, it will beseen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings' shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limit ing sense.

I claim:

1. In an overhead door construction for a door opening having a header extending across the top thereof, a door for closing said opening comprising a plurality of panels pivotally connected together at adjacent horizontal edges thereof, vertical guide members for the door at the sides of the door opening and inward of the header, each guide member having front and rear vertical flanges extending laterally inward from the respective side of the door opening defining a channel for slidably receiving end edge portions of the panels, said front flange extending up to the bottom of the header, said rear flange ex tending up to a point below the upper end of said front flange, an arm pivotally mounted at the upper end of said rear flange and extending upward in continuation of said rear flange, and means for biasing said arm to swing toward said front flange, the said arms of the guide members being adapted to bias the top panel of the door forward when the door is closed for sealing engagement ofthe upper margin of said top'panel with said header.

2. In an overhead door construction for a door opening having a header extending across the top thereof, a door for closing said opening comprising a plurality of panels pivotally connected together at adjacent horizontaledges thereof, each panel having. rollers at the ends thereof adjacent its upper edge, vertical guide members, for the door at the sides of the door opening and inward of the header, each guide member having front and rear vertical flanges extending laterally inward from the respective side of the door opening defining a channel for slidably receiving end edge portions of the panels, said front flange extending up to the bottom of the header, S id rear flange extending up to a point below the upper 4 end of said front flange, an arm pivotally mounted at the upper end of said rear flange and extending upward in continuation of said rear flange, and means for biasing said arm to swing toward said front flange, each guide member being formed within the said channel thereof with a track for the rollers at the respective end of the panels, overhead tracks fortherollers having forward end portions curved downwardly to meet the tracks on said guide members, the'said arms of the guide members being adapted to bias the toppanelof thedoor forward when the door is closed for sealing engagement of the upper margin-of said top panel with said'header and being adapted to yield rearward to allow the door to be her having front and rear vertical flanges extending latermoved upward and rearward on said overhead tracks.

3. In an overhead door construction as set forth in claim 2, said arms being mounted on said rear flanges by means of spring hinges including spring means for biasing the arms forward. l

-4. In an overhead door construction for a door opening having a header extending across the top thereof, said header having an inwardly-facing resilient sealing strip mounted thereon, a door for closing said opening comprising a plurality of panels pivotally connected together at adjacent horizontal edges thereof, each panel having rollers at the ends thereof adjacent its upper edge, vertical guide members for the door at the sides of the door opening and inward of the header, each guide memally inward from the respective side of the door opening defining a channel for slidably receiving end edge portions of the panels, said front flange extending up to the bottom of the header, said rear flange extending up to a .point below the upper end of said front flange, an arm pivotally mounted at the upper end of said rear flange and extending upward in continuation of said rear flange, and means for biasing said arm to swing toward said front 7 flange, each guide member being formed within the said channel thereof with a track for the' rollers at the respective end of the panels, overhead tracks for the rollers having forward end portions curved-downwardly to meet the tracks on said guide members, the said arms of the guide members being adapted to bias the top panel of the door forward when the door is closed forward for sealing engagement'of the upper margin of said top panel with said strip on the header and being adapted to yield rearward to allow the door to be moved upward and rearward on said overhead tracks.

5. In an overhead door construction as set forth in claim 4, said strip being mounted in a retainer adjustably secured to the bottom of the header for adjustment forward and rearward on the bottom of the header.

6. In an overhead door construction as set forth in claim 4, each of said arms being constituted by a plate having 'a width corresponding to the width of said rear flange, said arms being'mounted on said rear flanges by spring hinges including spring means for biasing, the

ReferencesCited the f le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,264,642 Rowe V Dec. 2, 19.41 2,330,670 Black Sept. 28, 1943 2,375,837v Buehner May 15, 1945 2,827,114 Stroup ..7.,.,,.. Mar. 18, 1958 

